Please tell us a bit about yourself: I’m 28, a runner, a pretty
huge geek both for scifi/fantasy and for history and economics. I have an
adorable puppy named Tank and the best husband in the world.
Tell us about Dragon’s Honor: It’s the story of two people who, on
the face of it, don’t have much in common: Cade is a born soldier who has done
some things for which he cannot forgive himself and vowed never to fight again,
and Aryn is a trophy wife who, though she has about zero talent for it, really
wants to get back into the resistance movement to free her planet. They absolutely
loathe each other when they first meet!
What inspired you to write this particular story?: I wanted to
subvert some of the tropes that we see so often in media by having our
characters embody the assumptions we tend to make about people in certain situations.
First, as a society, we like to judge poor women who become trophy wives,
either as gold-diggers or as victims. Aryn is neither—she’s absolutely
determined to forge her own way and do so with her eyes wide open. Cade,
meanwhile, takes the trope of the tortured soldier and in some ways turns it on
its head. I wanted to portray some of the complexities of PTSD (sensory
flashbacks, anger, hopelessness) within the structure of a life that also has
humor, friendship, and hope. Cade, like Aryn, has given up on his life being
perfect, but he doesn’t rage at the world. He’s made his decision about how he
can live with himself, and he’s forging gamely onward.
Please share a favourite snippet from your book:
“We are both men
of the world, are we not?” Ellian went to a sideboard, almost ostentatiously
turning his back on Cade. I do not fear
you, the gesture said.
“You might say
that.” He watched his host pour two glasses of brandy, every movement studied.
The glasses were picked without Ellian looking at them, and he poured from the
crystal bottle with practiced elegance. When Ellian returned, Cade took one of
the glasses at random and did not drink. He met Ellian’s eyes. “Perhaps you
should speak more plainly.”
To his surprise,
Ellian smiled at last. It was a bitter smile, but he toasted and downed his
brandy in a gulp.
Damn. There was
no polite way for Cade to refuse to drink now. He raised his own glass and took
a sip, rolling it across his tongue as if savoring. He tasted no bitterness,
saw no residue on the top of the liquid, and swallowed reluctantly. It was
good. Of course it was good. From the carpets to the hardwood desk, Ellian
clearly bought only the best.
“I like you,
Williams.” Ellian settled onto one of the couches and gestured for Cade to join
him. When Cade had chosen a seat, Ellian leaned forward, still holding the
empty tumbler. “We understand one another, I think. We have both seen all this
world has to offer—both in luxury and in pain.”
Cade felt his
eyebrows rise before he cold stop them.
“And as you said
I should speak more plainly, let me say it in the most basic terms.” Ellian
smiled. “You and I, Mr. Williams, are both very bad men. We have both done very
bad things. I do not think it is presuming too much to say that.”
Cade looked down
into his drink. How to respond to that?
“You do not need
to say anything,” Ellian assured him, eerily perceptive. “You were a Dragon.
Anyone with even the most tangential affiliation to the world of war knows what
the Dragons do. I know some of the ones you have destroyed—and I know there is
no way you could have done so honorably.”
Cade took a gulp
of the brandy.
“I should go.”
“No, I think
not. I need you, Mr. Williams, don’t you see? I need a man who understands the
worst the world can offer.”
“Why?” Cade
asked harshly. “If you have yourself, why do you need another one? As a
confidant?” He looked up, knowing his bitterness showed too clearly. “I don’t
want to remember,” he said simply.
“Then you are,
indeed, exactly what I require.” Ellian settled back. “Why? Yes, always people
ask me why. Think, Mr. Williams. You and I have done terrible things. We know
what darkness lies in the world. Aryn…does not.”
Cade’s eyebrows
shot up, and Ellian laughed.
“You disbelieve
me? Perhaps because she’s from Ymir?” He smiled. “Believe me, she was sheltered
from the worst of the Warlord’s excesses. You have met her. You have seen her
hope, her purity. There are those who call me a fool—yes, to my face—for
falling in love with her so quickly. But try to understand. Seeing a woman like
that on Ymir, I could no more have left her than I could have snuffed out a
star. Leaving such innocence there to be corrupted would be a crime.”
The poor bastard
even had friends who told him what this temptress was, and he could not see. Cade
wanted to sink his face into his hands.
“Mr. Williams.”
Ellian’s voice was smooth, deep. “Help me protect my wife. You do not want to
use your skills to harm, and I can understand that. It is clear that you are a
man of honor. Use your skills, then, to protect. Protect Aryn. She is my
everything.”
~~~
Which comes first for you – a character's looks, personality or
name?: Name is definitely last! In fact, it sometimes takes a few chapters for
me to settle on one. Aryn was originally Petra (and that might have worked,
except I started watching Jane the Virgin
and all I could picture was that Petra, so I had to change it). It’s probably
looks that occur to me first, but in a strange way: things like posture and
muscle, the little ways that your body tells some of your story to the world.
That helps me determine the personality, and from there I build their story!
Any tips for aspiring authors?: A lot of authors have covered the
basic things like writing consistently and reading a lot. I think my two
biggest pieces of advice would be to accept feedback (it hurts, but it’s worth
it) and, if possible, take up an endurance sport. Hear me out – if you do an
endurance sport, you’re training yourself to ignore your brain when it tells
you that you can’t keep going. You get very well versed in saying to yourself,
“shut up, brain, I don’t take that kind of crap from you.” And believe me,
you’ll need that sometime over the process of creating a book – because your
brain will tell you many, many times that you can’t do it. It’s a liar. Keep
going!
Questions for fun:
If you had the power of time travel, is there anything you would
go back and change?: I think probably, eventually I would break and go back to
change something that I just couldn’t bear. But I would not want to at the
start—I’d be worried that anything I did to avert disasters might lead to even
bigger ones down the road. It’s a huge responsibility!
What super-power would you choose?: Flight, I think. That looks
unbelievably fun!
If you could have three wishes, what would they be?: Fairly cheap
faster-than-light travel technology, terraforming technology, and I’m not sure
about a third. I believe strongly that our future as a species will not be on
earth (at least not entirely), and I would love to see other planets before I
die!
Coffee, tea or wine?: If I had to pick one, I think I’d go with
tea. So much delightful variety! I’m on a holiday tea kick right now, my
favorite is the Republic of Tea Comfort
and Joy.
What is your favourite book? (aside from one of your own!): Hmmm,
I’d probably have to go with Alanna.
I still read it every once in a while! The other close contender is Robin
McKinley’s Beauty.
Favourite genre and why?: Science Fiction, because it spans so
much in the way of tone and theme. If I want a funny book, a serious book, a
romance – I can find it!
Favourite colour?: Periwinkle
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us!
Bio:
Raised on the Dragon Riders of
Pern, Star Wars, Star Trek, and a whole bunch of historical romances, Michaela
grew up adoring the adventure of Science Fiction and the passion of a good love
story. Filled with double crossing, grand romantic gestures, sarcasm, and
plenty of heat, Michaela's books are just the sort of thing she wants to read
herself!
Blurb:
The Warlord...
From high society banquets in the ice covered skyscrapers of New Arizona, to the most far-flung outposts at the edge of human-occupied space, everyone has heard of Ymir. The Alliance's reach is wide, and its soldiers are well trained, but there are always despots powerful enough to assert themselves, and Ymir has been one of the most notable failures of human history: a whole planet given over to a man known only as the Warlord.
The soldier…
Cade Williams was once a Dragon—the most elite fighting unit in known space. Precise, brutal, and unstoppable, they were a last resort in the lawless wastes of space colonization. But there was a price: in one horrific mission, Cade’s unit took down not only a slave trader, but an entire intergalactic carrier. Cade left and never looked back. Haunted by his past, he’s vowed never again to kill, never again to fight, and, filling jobs from dock worker to bartender, he’s managed to keep that vow. But Cade’s life is about to be turned upside down. Because when at last he runs out of options, his old friend Talon Rift appears out of nowhere. Talon, the man who ordered him to take down the carrier. Talon, who wants him to get back in the game. And when Cade won’t, Talon has a job opportunity he seems to know Cade can’t afford to pass up. Protect a woman. An innocent. Remarkably little chance of anything going wrong. And a man needs to eat.
And the trophy wife…
There are two problems: first, that Cade hates Aryn the moment he lays eyes on her; second, that he wants her like he’s never wanted anyone before in his life. Or make that three problems: Aryn’s fiancé is a weapons trafficker with a well-deserved reputation for being ruthless, and Aryn is about to get caught up in one of his schemes - one that will bring her back to the place she only just escaped...the mines of Ymir.
From high society banquets in the ice covered skyscrapers of New Arizona, to the most far-flung outposts at the edge of human-occupied space, everyone has heard of Ymir. The Alliance's reach is wide, and its soldiers are well trained, but there are always despots powerful enough to assert themselves, and Ymir has been one of the most notable failures of human history: a whole planet given over to a man known only as the Warlord.
The soldier…
Cade Williams was once a Dragon—the most elite fighting unit in known space. Precise, brutal, and unstoppable, they were a last resort in the lawless wastes of space colonization. But there was a price: in one horrific mission, Cade’s unit took down not only a slave trader, but an entire intergalactic carrier. Cade left and never looked back. Haunted by his past, he’s vowed never again to kill, never again to fight, and, filling jobs from dock worker to bartender, he’s managed to keep that vow. But Cade’s life is about to be turned upside down. Because when at last he runs out of options, his old friend Talon Rift appears out of nowhere. Talon, the man who ordered him to take down the carrier. Talon, who wants him to get back in the game. And when Cade won’t, Talon has a job opportunity he seems to know Cade can’t afford to pass up. Protect a woman. An innocent. Remarkably little chance of anything going wrong. And a man needs to eat.
And the trophy wife…
There are two problems: first, that Cade hates Aryn the moment he lays eyes on her; second, that he wants her like he’s never wanted anyone before in his life. Or make that three problems: Aryn’s fiancé is a weapons trafficker with a well-deserved reputation for being ruthless, and Aryn is about to get caught up in one of his schemes - one that will bring her back to the place she only just escaped...the mines of Ymir.
Where
to buy:
Dragon’s Honor will be free to read in
Kindle Unlimited: smile.amazon.com/dp/B017F8X7HC/
Where
to find me:
Right now, I’m only on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mkendrickauthor/
Mailing list: http://eepurl.com/bIDsBn
And people can feel free to email me at
mkendrickauthor@gmail.com
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